Dogs, like humans, are social animals. Similarities in human and canine
social structure (e.g., living in groups, extended care of the young, communal
hunting) have contributed to dogs becoming "man's best friend." However, the
many differences between canine and human social behavior and communication can
lead to miscommunication, misunderstandings, and what humans consider "behavior
problems." From a dog's perspective, for example, submissive urination is
perfectly normal; but owners have real concerns about this behavior.

What's Going On?

A complex communication system has evolved among dogs to help establish
and maintain stable pack dominance hierarchies, which are essential for a pack
to work together in caring for young, hunting, and defending territory.
Dominant animals use vocalizations, gestures, and postures to communicate their
status. Subordinate animals use submissive displays to turn off these dominant
social threats. When dogs live in "packs" made up of their owners and other
humans, they use the same gestures to communicate. Problems arise when humans
do not understand these gestures or expect dogs to understand things about
human society that do not come naturally. For example, humans expect dogs not
to eliminate inside the house. A 7lb Yorkshire terrier may not defecate in the
room where it sleeps (i.e., its den) but may defecate on the living room rug
because it sees the rest of the house as fair game.

Submissive urination is the ultimate gesture of submission. Submissive
urinators communicate that they are absolutely no threat to other dogs. In
response to the submissive signals, dominant dogs stop their display.

Submissive urination can be seen in dogs of any age or sex. It is most
common in puppies, which makes perfect sense because they are automatically
subordinate to all the adults in the pack. It is also more commonly seen in
females and smaller breeds. Submissive urination occurs when dogs are
confronted with facial expressions, body postures, or gestures that they
perceive as a threat (see Case Examples, Case 1), including humans reaching for
them; petting them on the head; leaning over them; talking to them in excited,
deep, or harsh tones; making eye contact with them; or punishing them verbally
or physically. In canine communication, dominance gestures include staring,
standing over, putting a paw across the back of another dog's neck, and low
growls. Dogs simply interpret human actions as they would another dog's
actions.

While submissively urinating, dogs usually show other submissive signs,
including laying their ears back, tucking their tails, cowering, and avoiding
eye contact. They may also give a submissive "grin" in which the corners of the
lips are pulled back, exposing molars and premolars. This should not be
confused with an aggressive lip lift, which shows the incisors and canines.
Some dogs roll onto their sides, exposing their bellies, while giving these
signals and urinating. This is not a request for a belly rub; it is a request
to be left alone.

Dogs that submissively urinate expect that their behavior will stop
"threats" from humans, but well meaning humans continue leaning over, petting,
and trying to comfort these dogs as they would another person. Dogs see this as
a continued threat rather than a comforting gesture. Punishing these dogs will
only exacerbate the situation. A typical scenario is the owner who is
frustrated because his dog urinates on the carpet every time he comes home.
Believing that he has "caught the dog in the act," the owner scolds or
otherwise punishes the dog for what he believes is a housebreaking lapse. Thus
a dog that is already intimidated and trying to say with its only "words" that
it respects the owner's authority is met with further threats, resulting in
more frequent and intense displays of submission.

Excitement Urination

Excitement urination, a variation of the submissive form, usually occurs
during greetings (see Case Examples, Case 1). Dogs with this behavior often do
not show other signs of submission. Instead, they seem happy and excited to be
greeted by humans. These are the puppies that urinate when greeted and then wag
their tails and jump on humans, splashing urine all over.

CASE 1

I recently saw Jake, a 6?year?old neutered male American Eskimo dog,
for submissive urination. This had been a big problem when lake was younger but
seemed to resolve with maturation; however, Jake had begun to urinate in the
house again. Jake had always been a very sensitive dog, cowering not only if
scolded but also if family members raised their voices at each other. Jake's
owners did not think they had been scolding him any more mud were confused and
concerned about the return of the submissive urination. Because lake's owners
had been remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms, they often came home to a mess
and an unusable kitchen. Although they did not yell at Jake when they came
home, they were stressed and upset lake was reading their body language and
responding with submissive gestures. But why did Jake submissively urinate when
no one was there to see the gesture? Just as Pavlov trained an automatic
response (salivation at the sight of food) to occur on an external cue (a
ringing bell), Jake learned to pair the automatic response of submissive
urination with the learned cue of the owners' yelling. When the owners had a
series of bad days, lake felt as though the alpha dog (the owners) was
constantly threatening him. In response, lake's behavior became more
submissive. Jake's owners were asked to change their behavior when they came
home. Rather than checking on the progress of the renovations, they walked or
played with Jake. After some positive, relaxed time together, the owners
checked on the kitchen. They were also reminded of Jake's sensitivity and tried
to control their stressful reactions. They used lake as a barometer of their
own stress reactions and made a conscious effort to relax when they noticed
signs of submission.

CASE 2

My childhood dog, Misty, a cocker spaniel, was an excitement
urinator. As a puppy, urination would occur whenever anyone came home or
greeted Misty. My family had never owned a dog before, but someone told us that
the behavior was caused by overexcitement, so we never punished Misty. We just
assumed we had to live with it. We tried to remain as calm as possible when
greeting Misty but never actively worked on the problem. Misty's behavior
improved slowly; by 3 or 4 years of age, submissive urination no longer
occurred on a daily basis. After that, urination occurred only when Misty
greeted special persons whom she rarely saw. My family learned to have Misty
greet these people outside. After we understood the problem and found an
acceptable way to manage it, Misty's excitement urination ceased to be a
problem. Managing the behavior just became a fact of life, like a daily
brushing to maintain the coat.

Changing the Behavior

The prognosis for dogs with submissive urination is good: most puppies
and young dogs outgrow the problem as they mature and gain confidence in social
situations. Treatment relies mainly on owner education and patience. Owners
must learn to accept submissive urination as a normal part of canine social
behavior. The battle is half won when owners accept that their dogs have not
lost their housebreaking skills and are not being spiteful.

The next step is identifying and avoiding the stimuli that lead to
submissive urination. Everyone (e.g., owners. their friends. veterinary
caregivers) who interacts with dogs that exhibit this behavior should avoid
doing anything that causes urination. For example, dogs with submissive
urination should not be rushed toward when greeted; instead. they should be
allowed to approach on their own. Humans should speak softly, avoid prolonged
eye contact, and kneel down to avoid towering over these dogs. Ignoring these
dogs for the first 5 minutes after arriving home may prevent overexcitement.
These dogs should not be reached for, especially over the head; they should be
petted under the chin, on the chest. and on the side of the neck.

Dogs with submissive or excitement urination may be helped by being
taught an alternate greeting behavior or to associate greetings with a
different set of emotional responses. These are forms of counter conditioning.
Owners should be instructed to meet their dogs at the door with a treat or toy.
The dogs will learn to anticipate food or play when owners come home and be
less likely to urinate. Especially with treats. owners can shape their doss'
behavior from an excited or submissive greeting to a calm one. When the dogs
begin looking for the treat, owners should wait for them to sit calmly before
giving it. Later, a treat should be given while their dogs are sitting calmly,
being petted, and not displaying any Submissive gestures. Dogs with submissive
urination should not be punished. Some dogs are so sensitive that even upset
facial expressions or tense body language from owners is enough to elicit
urination. The best way to avoid punishing dogs is to guide them toward
appropriate behaviors. For example, instead of yelling "no" when their dogs
jump on them, owners should teach them to sit. Dogs should be told the right
thing to do, something that will result in praise and a reward. rather than
being allowed to decide what to do, potentially resulting in scolding and
punishment. Reducing the amount of punishment will help build the confidence of
Submissive dons and reduce their tendency to show such exaggerated submissive
behaviors as urination. Other good confidence builders for dogs include
positive reinforcement/reward basic training for obedience or dog sports (e.g.,
agility, flyball). These activities also help strengthen the owner?dog bond,
which may have been damaged by frustration over urination.

Conclusion

Submissive urination is a commonly encountered, normal canine behavior.
It is considered a behavior problem because humans do not want their dogs to
urinate in socially unacceptable locations and situations. However, submissive
urination is easily manageable. By teaching owners a little about canine social
systems and communication, veterinary technicians can help them understand
their dogs' behavior (see Resources). After owners understand and avoid
eliciting the behavior, the submissive urination stops. Confidence building
activities between owners and dogs can help end submissive urination and
strengthen the owner?dog bond.

About the Author Dr. Bergman is affiliated with the Behavior Service,
Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California, Davis.